Appropriate punishment

(Baonghean) - Standing before the dock, the two female ringleaders of the drug trafficking network wept and pleaded. One asked the court to forgive her daughter, who is a university student, while the other also shed tears, hoping the judges would reduce her sentence.

Early in the morning, a police van from the prison drove into the courtyard of the Nghe An Provincial People's Court and stopped abruptly in front of the courtroom. From inside the van, police officers quickly led the four defendants: Dang Thi Hai Huong (41 years old) from Dong Vinh ward, Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc (21 years old, Huong's daughter), Le Thi Kim Lien (47 years old) from Le Loi ward, and Hoang Van Yen (39 years old) residing in Thanh Long commune, Thanh Chuong district, to their seats. Below, some people excitedly stood up, hoping to get closer to the defendants, who were their relatives. In response, the defendants – who were the ringleaders of the drug trafficking network – also fidgeted, looking down to seek sympathetic glances from their family members.

Originally a pretty, sharp-witted, and experienced woman, Dang Thi Hai Huong's appearance deteriorated noticeably after her time in detention. Her husband worked abroad, leaving her to raise three children alone. Despite lacking a stable job, her eloquence and resourcefulness led to rapid financial success in recent years, allowing her to buy a luxury car and a beautiful house, earning her the admiration of many in her community. Among her close friends, Tran Thi Kim Lien was the closest. Although from Vinh City, Dang Thi Hai Huong frequently visited Thanh Long commune, Thanh Chuong district, to socialize and make friends. Her go-to person was Hoang Van Yen – a farmer known for his wealth.

During those interactions, Dang Thi Hai Huong knew that Hoang Van Yen was a kingpin in the drug trafficking ring. Therefore, when she heard Le Thi Kim Lien discussing buying heroin for distribution, Huong didn't hesitate to call Yen and offer to buy the drugs. One day in early March 2013, Huong borrowed 100 million VND and took 2,000 USD from Lien before driving to Thanh Chuong. Seeing her mother leave, her daughter, Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc, then a student at a technology university, asked if all three sisters could go to Thanh Chuong for a trip. Upon arriving at Hoang Van Yen's house, as previously arranged, Huong brought the money inside and placed it on the table. She and Yen then went to a corner by the fence to receive two blocks of heroin. On the way back, Ngoc knew her mother was dealing in illegal goods but said nothing. Occasionally, the pretty-faced student would help her mother carry the bag containing the heroin.

Late in the afternoon, Huong drove back to Vinh City, daydreaming about the huge profit the two blocks of heroin in her black handbag would bring. As her illicit journey from Thanh Chuong District to Vinh was nearing its end, a police team suddenly appeared on National Highway 46, at the border between Hung Nguyen District and Vinh City, and asked Huong to stop for a document check. After a few minutes of panic, the female driver regained her composure, pulled over to the side of the road, and explained that she was taking her young child out for a walk from Thanh Chuong District. At this point, Huong's eldest daughter also quickly opened the door, grabbed the black handbag, and tried to run away but was apprehended by the police. When the authorities searched the handbag, Huong was completely paralyzed and unable to say another word. The case was later expanded, and Hoang Van Yen was arrested while on the run in Dinh Quan District, Dong Nai Province, along with evidence including an 8kg bag of methamphetamine and 7 blocks of heroin.

The defendants stand before the court.

Defendant Hong Ngoc at the trial.

Slowly and clearly confessing to each of her crimes, Dang Thi Hai Huong occasionally turned to her daughter, who was also standing before the dock. Huong claimed that her daughter had absolutely no involvement in the drug ring, but had only accidentally taken her mother's handbag containing drugs while out with her. “I am guilty, I plead guilty, but I hope the court will reconsider my daughter's actions. She is young, a student on vacation visiting home, and completely unrelated to her mother's drug ring. Now that I'm in prison, she's my only support,” Huong sobbed. Perhaps, these moments before the dock were the most honest and vulnerable moments for a girl who had once used cunning schemes to establish a drug trafficking ring.

Faced with her mother's tears, the female defendant Hong Ngoc also couldn't hold back her own tears. Her voice faltered as she recounted the entire process of asking her mother for permission to go to Thanh Chuong, and how, out of love for her mother, she slung the handbag around her neck when the police checked the car… While the gang leader Dang Thi Hai Huong wept and pleaded for her daughter, Huong's "close friend" Le Thi Kim Lien also softly begged the court for a reduced sentence. However, Lien's tears didn't convey much remorse or regret, as this wasn't her first offense. Previously, this notorious gangster had served 30 months in prison for illegal drug trafficking. In 2003, she was also sentenced to 3 months for gambling.

At the end of that day's trial, drug kingpin Hoang Van Yen was sentenced to life imprisonment, Le Thi Kim Lien to 15 years in prison, and Dang Thi Hai Huong to life imprisonment. Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc, however, had her charge changed from "illegally transporting narcotics" to "concealing a crime," resulting in a sentence of 1 year and 23 days in prison. Upon hearing the verdict, Dang Thi Hai Huong and her daughter Hong Ngoc's faces relaxed. Ngoc clasped her mother's hand tightly, a small smile on her face. Perhaps the days spent in detention and the hours before the judge had taught the young woman many lessons. Although her charges were changed and she received a prison sentence corresponding to her time in detention, her future faces many difficulties: her studies are interrupted, her mother is serving a prison sentence, and her two younger siblings are left orphaned...

Thuy Linh